Behind “Chagaga” by the Tichel Cuties

My friend Becca, along with some of her Orthodox Jewish Day School friends/co-tichel cuties created a pretty intense fusion of Lady Gaga and traditional Orthodox concepts (the wearing of the tichel – garb for married women, preparing for Shabbat, and the waiting for the Messiah). ...

My friend Becca, along with some of her Orthodox Jewish Day School friends/co-tichel cuties created a pretty intense fusion of Lady Gaga and traditional Orthodox concepts (the wearing of the tichel – garb for married women, preparing for Shabbat, and the waiting for the Messiah). This is not a likely combination so that’s probably why it has been getting so much attention in the blogosphere, both positive and negative.

I think this mixture of feedback is due to a general confusion of the purpose of the video. Three Orthodox Jewish high school students translating Jewish ritual into Gaga – is this a parody? Are they making fun of Orthodox Judaism? Or are they portraying their lives/futures through this witty medium?

Renee at The Sisterhood questions, “Well, it may be kosher, but it’s not so innocent. The sexual overtones — not to mention some of the lyrics — in this video caused me to be pretty sure that this is all a satire. … Right?”

The confusion is understandable, but these girls deserve a chance to explain their project for themselves. So, I asked Becca for the story behind Tichel Cuties and here are her answers.